


Stop the Presses

by yorkisms



Category: X-Ray & Vav (Cartoon)
Genre: Bad Parenting, Child Abandonment, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Multi, Smoking, Swearing, sorta?, tagging it to be safe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-10
Updated: 2016-08-19
Packaged: 2018-06-01 10:55:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6515350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yorkisms/pseuds/yorkisms
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>X-Ray's got a secret, something he's never told (most of) his friends, because when he does tell them they ruin everything (like he thought they would.) </p><p>Now he's stuck with the person he might just hate most in the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In which Hilda, Ash, and Mogar discover something, and it frustrates Ash

**Author's Note:**

> Shout out to the ever-awesome leave-xray-alone for giving me this idea to play with, it was mega fun and I loved every minute of this.
> 
> This is probably gonna have 6-7 chapters...7 if the people want closure, so vote on your phones when that time comes.

Surprisingly to those who knew him as a child (as in, Vav), X-Ray’s house was now the hub of activity in their- well, it could theoretically be called a friend group.

 

Before moving to this particular house, X-Ray had never allowed people over to his apartment, which, after being there maybe once, was understandable to Vav. But now, there wasn’t anyone in the group who hadn’t stayed a night or two in X-Ray’s basement (with Vav in first place, Mogar in second.)

 

Hence, whenever the group got together, for whatever reason, it was probably at X-Ray’s house. 

 

Today, Hilda and Ash were visiting (although the latter was more against X-Ray’s will). Mogar and Vav could barely be counted as visiting, honestly, since they had practically moved in in their own rights (well, Vav was even  _ official _ about it). 

 

Hilda had gone upstairs to get a bag of chips X-Ray had sworn he had (but seriously, she couldn’t find it.) Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and Hilda could hear X-Ray’s voice echoing up the stairs. 

 

“Hilda! Can you see who that is?”

 

When she opened the door, a small package was waiting on the step, clearly some kind of Amazon order. She shrugged, picked it up, and brought it inside, examining it. 

 

“Package for you, lo--ser…”

 

And the reason Hilda’s voice trailed off was the name she had noticed printed on the front. She could already hear X-Ray running up the stairs, and before she could say a word he grabbed the box from her hands.

 

“Dude. What the  _ hell _ ,” Hilda said, irritated. 

 

“You have  _ not _ been telling us something-”

 

“Who’s this we?” X-Ray snapped, trying (and failing) to open the box with his bare hands. 

 

“I saw what was on there, I can’t believe you’re literally the son of fucking /Ray N/--”

 

“Shut  _ up! _ ” X-Ray hissed. 

 

“What’s this?” Vav interrupted, peeking out of the stairwell. X-Ray sighed dramatically.

 

“Hilda was looking at my fucking mail-”

“First let’s go back down, okay?” Vav said calmly. X-Ray sighed. 

 

“Fine.”

 

Without further ado, Vav brought the both of them downstairs, X-Ray still keeping the box to himself. 

 

“Now what’s wrong?” Vav asked, sitting down on the couch with his legs crossed. X-Ray opened his mouth, but Hilda spoke first, causing X-Ray to press one hand to his forehead. 

 

“I saw the name on his package and I can’t  _ believe _ you‘ve been sitting on this for  _ how long? _ ”

 

“Sitting on what?” Ash asked, looking up from her computer. 

 

“This idiot’s legal name is-”

 

“Stop that sentence right there or-”

 

Hilda seized the package, shoving it in Ash’s face. “READ IT!” 

 

“It’s addressed to Ray Narvaez...Jr.” Ash looked up. “As in-”

 

“Please don’t speak to me,” X-Ray mumbled, clearly embarrassed. “This is why no one’s supposed to know.”

 

“Mogar is- lost.”

 

“Apparently,” Hilda said pointedly, looking at X-Ray, “X-Ray’s dad is fairly famous, and he never told us.”

 

Vav scratched his head nervously. “Well- that’s a lie. Actually.”

 

“You mean you  _ knew? _ ”

 

“Well, of course I did--” Vav was cut off by a loud groan from Hilda. X-Ray removed one hand fron his face.

 

“Let me guess. You’re a fan.”

 

Hilda glared at him, and then shrugged. “A little.” 

 

“Don’t be,” X-Ray muttered. “Guy’s a lying, cheating, son of a-”

 

“Mogar would like clarification,” Mogar interrupts, looking a little intimidated when X-Ray glares at him. Hilda sighed.

 

“X-Ray’s  _ dad- _ ” 

 

“Please stop sounding like my dad’s the fuckin president,” X-Ray mutters. “My dad’s a former pro wrestler. Didn’t get that big but he’s pretty famous within city limits. We had...a falling out, okay? I don’t talk to him at all.”

 

Hilda actually looked surprised by that, while this was not new to Vav. Ash and Mogar, on the other hand, mostly looked confused. X-Ray sighed, still avoiding their eyes. 

 

“Alright, look, here’s what happened. There was a bit of a scandal because I wasn’t his only kid, and he was married, and he refused to legally acknowledge me despite the whole-- name thing, alright?”

 

X-Ray waved one hand. 

 

“So no, legally, I’m not. Socially, the stupid thing quieted down after a while and that’s why I only use my name on legal things, okay? Like my stupid bank account.”

 

He glared at Hilda. “Now please drop it. I just want to be left alone and forget about that old shit.”

 

Vav frowned. “Yeah, uh, we’d-- rather if you did, please. It’s not a pleasant memory for X-Ray, and I was there.”

 

Ash frowned, leaning over her computer. There was something the superheroes were holding back, and she was going to find out what.

 

A few google searches later, the dark truth was revealed. Apparently, X-Ray’s dad- Ray Narvaez Sr- had put out a public statement shortly after the story broke, essentially referring to X-Ray himself as an accident, saying that what did it matter if X-Ray’s mother didn’t have enough money for a child, et cetera. Ash couldn’t help but wince a bit.

 

She knew X-Ray expressed a distaste for the man himself and had requested privacy, but she couldn’t drop the idea. 

 

If they hadn’t known who X-Ray was, maybe it went the other way? 

  
Ash, when X-Ray finally kicked her and Hilda out for the night, had an agenda in mind.


	2. In which X-Ray gets a startling message

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash's agenda becomes clear, and while the sentiment was good, X-Ray is very, very displeased.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day. Why not.

It was a few days later that X-Ray checked his voicemail. 

 

He normally didn’t check these things on his private phone, mostly because not too many people had the number (he was a pretty private guy, all told) and second-mostly because he just never used it. 

 

But a little notification told him someone had left him a voicemail, so X-Ray dialed up his inbox. 

 

“Junior--” 

 

Oh no. Oh  _ no. _ Oh  _ fuck _ no. 

 

X-Ray almost immediately hangs up and deletes upon hearing what he’s certain is his dad’s voice, but instead, his dad’s next words give him pause.

 

“We gotta talk about that girl who just came by here.” 

 

X-Ray frowned. What the hell did that mean? Also, he could suspect appropriately from his father’s intonations and pauses that he was probably drunk- no surprise. Douchebag always had a weakness for it. 

 

“Some girl just came ‘round t’my house-”

 

To your mansion, X-Ray sarcastically replied in his head, because while in all technicality it wasn’t a mansion, his dad’s house- as he last knew it, anyway- was far too big for one retired asshole. 

 

“-talkin’ about you.”

 

Wait, what?

 

“Said y’were still in the city, that you were the one doin’ all that-- superhero bullshit.” 

 

X-Ray hears his dad swallow something- probably more alcohol. 

 

“Damn near read me the fuckin’ riot act for not speakin’ to you.” 

 

X-Ray cringed. Of course telling the others had been a bad idea. A really, genuinely bad idea. Now his dad was probably going to come out and mention it in some sort of half-assed attempt to gain lost notoriety, and what was that going to get him? 

 

But on the other hand, who had even spilled the beans. 

 

“I assume you sent the dumb bitch. Hah, I thought you were over this shit, anyway. Already told her, but I’m gonna tell ya if she ever comes ‘round again it’s not gonna be pretty.” 

 

X-Ray gritted his teeth. Who the hell had gone to see his dickhead of a dad. There had to be one clue in the stupid  _ message _ -

 

“An’ tell that bitch her reporter cred ain’t gonna help keep this from getting in the papers.”

 

X-Ray looked over at the couch, where Vav and Mogar were sitting, Vav helping Mogar read. 

 

“Vav, where the  _ hell _ is Ash.”

 

“Huh?” Vav looked up. “I assume she’s working. Why?”

 

X-Ray honestly felt like crushing his phone in his bare hands, but while some people (see: his dad, Mogar) could pull that off, he probably couldn’t. 

 

“She’s got fucking hell to pay for that fucking shitty stunt she just pulled, and then she says she didn’t do  _ anything- _ ” 

 

As X-Ray stalked out of the room and up the stairs, Vav jumped to his feet, following, with a confused Mogar close behind.

 

“Wait, X-Ray? What happened?”

 

“I’ll tell you what happened,” X-Ray growled. “That bitch told my dad who I am and now he’s threatening to drop that little  _ bombshell _ all over this piece of shit town if it happens again or whatever because, you know, he hates my entire existence!”

 

Vav cringed. 

 

“I will admit that that’s bad, but--”

 

“But  _ what? _ ” 

 

“But please calm down for a  _ moment- _ ” 

 

X-Ray sighed, irritated. 

 

“Vav, I expect to be given my goddamn privacy!”

 

“Calm  _ down _ ,” Vav repeated. “Okay? We're gonna call her right now, okay? Let's sort this out.”

 

X-Ray sighed. 

 

“Fine.”


	3. In which X-Ray has something shameful to resort to

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> X-Ray would do anything to keep this particular factoid about himself from getting out.
> 
> Anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three in a day? Sure, why not.

X-Ray had replayed the message over and over, listening to it with headphones. 

 

What scared him the most was the idea that his dad now had something he really didn't want getting out. 

 

He debated an idea in his mind, round and round until he couldn't think anymore. One night Vav asked if he was okay. X-Ray had nodded, and Mogar had nuzzled his shoulder. His boyfriends had let the issue drop, then. 

 

Now, though, X-Ray was sitting in the bathroom, having just gotten out of the shower. Steam still fogged up the mirrors. X-Ray sighed, beginning to type an email on his phone. 

 

_ Hi dad--  _

 

_ Sorry it took so long to respond to your call. _

 

(He doesn't deserve your apologies, X-Ray tells himself. He can't delete it, though, it might piss off his dad.)

 

_ I know who you're talking about, yeah, I talked to her. Told her not to do that again. Swear to God I didn't ask her to go over there.  _

 

(And by talk, he means he yelled at Ash over the phone for half an hour until she apologized and hasn't been speaking to her since.)

 

_ Anyway- sorry. You know I don't like the press. If there's any way I can avoid getting them involved, let me know. If you're over it, I can go back to not being your son. _

 

_ -Ray Jr _

 

Before X-Ray could second guess himself, he hit send. 

 

And hopefully his dad would handle this. 

 

By the time he was sitting back down on the couch listening to Vav shower and Mogar struggle with a computer, his dad had emailed him back. 

 

_ Junior- _

 

(Wow, he hated being called that.)

 

_ Don't have to involve the press if you can do me a favor or two.  _

 

_ Need a debt collected from an old pal of mine.  _

 

_ Doubt you'll have the balls to do it, either way, no skin off of my back.  _

 

_ Dad. _

 

X-Ray almost threw his phone, but Mogar was still present. And there was no way in hell that Vav or Mogar could know this- they would  _ not _ approve. 

 

_ Dad- _

 

_ Send me the address and I'll get your cash tonight. _

 

_ -Ray Jr _

 

God, he was making a mistake.

 

X-Ray snuck out later that night, past midnight, when Vav and Mogar were asleep. They wouldn't know the difference, he was sure, they both tended to sleep heavily. 

 

He'd live, anyway. It was one guy on the rotten side of town where he had grown up, even. He could handle anyone from over there, anyway. 

 

X-Ray didn't wear his superhero clothes. His dad didn't get him as a superhero. His dad didn't  _ deserve  _ it.

 

X-Ray’s aware he was unlucky enough to not even be able to afford the shithole house his dad sends him to. The guy who answers the door is just  _ typical _ and is precisely what he expected from his dad, a sweaty and slightly overweight guy who's underdressed. X-Ray makes sure his hood is still up. 

 

“What d’you want.” 

 

“Narvaez Sr says you owe him cash.”

 

X-Ray keeps his hands in his jacket’s pockets so that the guy can't see how he's shaking. The idea of coming back to this neighborhood doesn't scare him. The idea of being his father's errand boy does. 

 

The guy sighs. 

 

“What, so he's sending some kid, to-” 

 

X-Ray would like to have believed that his dad would defend him if something happened, but he could not afford to be unsure. 

 

“I'm twenty-four.”

 

“Senior's an asshole.”

 

“Can't argue with that,” X-Ray says. 

 

“He got something on you?”

 

“Somethin’ like that,” X-Ray says, still cagey. “But he wants the thousand dollars.”

 

“Let me write that fucker a check.”

 

X-Ray declines to step inside, he knows where he is. He waits for the guy to return, pressing the check into X-Ray’s waiting hand. 

 

X-Ray turns to leave, and the guy punches, aiming for his face. X-Ray dodges pretty quickly, experience being a good teacher. 

 

“I don't think senior gives a damn if I come back with a black eye,” X-Ray commented. 

 

X-Ray returned to his father's house at 2:30 in the morning, and handed over the check. His father smelled of cigarettes and whiskey, and it made X-Ray’s nose twitch. 

 

“Well, you did it,” his dad commented. X-Ray’s jaw tightened.

 

“I didn't think you had the cojoñes.” 

 

“You're gonna drop the press?” 

 

“Possibly,” his dad replied, taking a drink straight from his bottle of something X-Ray couldn't be bothered to identify. 

 

“Maybe I'll need a few more errands. But yeah, the press won't know it for now.” 

 

“Good.” 

 

X-Ray turned to leave.

 

“Junior.”

 

X-Ray let out a small growl. 

 

“What.”

 

“I didn't know it was you on TV with those robo-arms and the lava an’ all.” 

 

X-Ray stiffened. “Yeah?”

 

“I'm just sayin, if it was me in your buddy's position, having to choose ‘tween you and some broad- I'd definitely be on his side f’r that one.”

 

“Thanks, dad,” X-Ray muttered, exiting the room. 

“Really appreciate it.”


	4. In which Mogar and Vav are...worried, to say the least

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If anyone can read X-Ray, it's his boyfriends, and as much as he tries to hide it, they know when something is wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two to go. 
> 
> (Unless it turns out the 7th part is in demand.)
> 
> I will probably not be posting until Saturday at least bar a complete miracle- limited computer access.

A few months passed in this way, and as with most things it was only a matter of time before Mogar and Vav noticed that X-Ray wasn't getting enough sleep. He'd catnap in random places, all around the house, and sometimes on the bus or whenever they had a slow moment.

 

Vav started staying up and watching X-Ray sneak out, and began to formulate a plan. They had to know where he was going, in his street clothes and with his hood up.

 

And one night, Vav woke Mogar as soon as X-Ray was out the door, and they were in pursuit.

 

X-Ray’s path started out innocuous. He caught a bus, which Mogar helped Vav follow with the former’s experience sneaking through the alleys.

 

When X-Ray reached a stop, he exited the bus, and entered a convenience store.

 

Before Vav and Mogar could try to cover the exits, he had slipped out a side door and caught another bus, one they hadn't seen. X-Ray’s boyfriends were forced to return home, even more frustrated than before.

 

X-Ray didn't mention it the next day, if he really had known they were following him. But again, another month passed before they got their second chance.

 

In fact, their second chance came with an extra clue, in the form of X-Ray leaving his phone’s ringer on. It was while he was playing games, too, which made the fact that he took the call all the more suspicious.

 

_Would I have done what you did?_   
_Would I do what you have done?_ _  
I like to think I'm a bigger man than that-_

 

“Shit, I gotta take this.”

 

X-Ray paused his game, stepping outside.

 

Vav looked sideways at Mogar- they had both noticed that X-Ray would take mysterious calls before his little nightly outings.

 

“Tonight,” Mogar muttered. “Tonight we must pursue the secret the green one is keeping from us once more.”

 

“Yeah,” Vav said. Something about what had just happened was bugging him, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

 

That night, X-Ray did sneak out again, and was followed again, and lost Vav and Mogar again.

 

The two were heading home, reluctantly, when Vav snapped to attention.

 

“That's it.”

 

Mogar pulled his hood down.

 

“Have you had a realization?”

 

“Yeah!” Vav practically squeaked. “I know where he's going, we don't need to follow him!”

 

“How did-”

 

“His ringtone,” Vav said breathlessly. “I know that song. He listens to it when he's mad or upset about his dad.”

 

Mogar’s eyes widened.

 

“Then we must be swift.”

  
“Come on-!”


	5. In which there is much fear and loathing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vav and Mogar finally see what X-Ray's been up to. They don't like it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I KNOW I said nothing until Saturday bar a miracle. There was a miracle. 
> 
> So here it is-- the reveal.

Mogar and Vav arrived at X-Ray’s dad's house halfway through the conversation they were carrying on. 

 

“--I told you, it's fucking- just leave them out of it, okay? Christ.” 

 

His dad shrugged. This night he was smoking a cigarette. 

 

“S’none of my business what you and your  _ man friends _ get up to in the sack, but the whole town’s talking about it.”

 

“Well, it's none of their business, either.” 

 

If Vav didn't know that was X-Ray’s jacket and couldn't see parts of his face, he wouldn't have known it was his best friend under that hood. X-Ray looked more subdued, like a cornered animal in his father's presence. The image, to Vav, was entirely abhorrent. Why was X-Ray dealing with this scumbag? 

 

“Are you just gonna give me the job or what, dad?” 

 

“Ah, right.” his father took a drag of the cigarette, the embers glowing. 

 

“I owe a guy some cash.”

 

“When don't you,” X-Ray muttered. His dad blew a smoke ring. 

 

“Hey, if you don't wanna, I can go to the press. That place your broad friend used to work at-” 

 

“Give me the address,” X-Ray muttered reluctantly. 

 

“Tell him he's getting the cash next month.”

 

“You've been saying that to everyone you send me to talk to for-”

 

“Did I  _ ask _ you to be sarcastic?” his dad snapped. 

“No, old man,” X-Ray muttered. “Yeah, I'll let the old fuck know. Just give me the damn address.” 

 

His dad recited a street address, which X-Ray took down- in memory, it appeared. 

 

“How long will that take.” 

 

“I'll text you,” X-Ray replied. “It's too late to come back here.” 

 

His dad shrugged, taking another drag of the cigarette. 

 

“You had better convince him you're bringing him the cash next month.”

 

“I know.”

 

“And that means get the job done, ya fuckin-” His dad stumbled over the words for a moment, and both X-Ray on the inside and Vav observing through the window suspected that X-Ray’s father was drunk. 

 

“-fuckin’...bastard, accident kid.” 

 

X-Ray flinched slightly.

 

“Alright.”

 

“Never shoulda fucked yer mother,” his dad comments, the words blurring together slightly. 

 

“I get it, dad.” 

 

“Y’gonna give me a hug?” his dad asked, and Vav couldn’t mistake X-Ray’s cringe. X-Ray made no attempt to resist, though, moving in for a piece of physical contact that felt uncomfortably long, even for the observers. After what felt like an eternity, X-Ray pulled back, and Vav motioned for Mogar to follow him around to the front of the house. 

 

Vav hopped down from the porch, running after X-Ray. 

 

“Hsst! Ray!” 

 

X-Ray turned around, surprised. “What are you doing-” 

 

Vav put his arms around X-Ray before the latter could even finish. 

 

“-here…”

 

X-Ray smelled like his dad- like cigarettes and Jack Daniel’s- But Vav couldn't bring himself to care. It was X-Ray. That was enough. 

 

“I love you,” Vav said breathlessly. 

 

“You heard all of that, didn't you.”

 

“I heard enough.”

 

“You don't have to worry about-” 

 

X-Ray was cut off again by Mogar joining the group hug. 

 

“-me.”

 

Mogar’s chest rumbled in a pleased manner as he shoved his head into X-Ray’s shoulder. 

 

X-Ray sighed the way he would when it was clear he was giving in to everything his damn boyfriends asked of him. If he was being honest he was a little teary- they had come for him, even though he had kept secrets, and they weren't even mad first. 

Their first thought was to tell him it was okay.

 

“Ah, god.” 

 

X-Ray managed to extricate his arms to return the hug. Or, hugs. 

 

“Thank you for coming after me. Really. But there's nothing you can do.”

 

Mogar and Vav released him and X-Ray began to walk. 

  
“C’mon.”

 

For the first time, he trusted them to follow.


	6. In which the truth is revealed, but resolution is far off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> X-Ray had to tell them at some point, but Mogar and Vav can't accept what X-Ray has:
> 
> There is no escape.

Vav and Mogar were allowed by X-Ray to walk to the task X-Ray’s father had assigned him. 

 

X-Ray, from the first set out the concept that he didn't want them to intervene or interfere once he had begun the job.

 

“So this started when Ash went to see him?” Vav asked. X-Ray nodded. 

 

“It was supposed to be a one time thing, but now he pulls it out whenever he has something he doesn't want to do in person.” He sighed. 

 

“It sucks, but, you know what? It's easier than it would be to be doing everything we normally do and have people recognizing me.” 

 

“I understand why you did it,” Vav said gently, leaning slightly on X-Ray as they walked, one hand in X-Ray’s hair in a way that made X-Ray sigh. 

 

“You could have told us.”

 

“I didn't want you to worry.” X-Ray paused. “Or be mad at me.”

 

“We're not mad,” Vav assured him. Mogar put one arm around the both of them, somewhat defensively.

 

“Mogar would like you to know that Mogar loves you. And the blue one.” 

 

Vav giggled. X-Ray’s mouth twitched. 

 

“Yeah, I know, I love you too. But seriously, you don't need to worry about me. It's pretty much a once a month deal, and even if you wanted me to get out of it, I can't. If I don't show next month, my legal name drops in every news outlet in the city.”

 

Vav looked overall disappointed, and Mogar just  looked angry. X-Ray seemed to shrink a bit, which caused Mogar to put his chin on X-Ray’s head for a moment, and Vav to kiss X-Ray quickly on the cheek.

 

“Mogar offers his reassurance that he is not angry with his hero.” 

 

“Good,” Vav added, “Because neither am I.” 

 

He runs his hand through X-Ray’s hair as they stop at a crosswalk.

 

“We just don't like to see you unhappy.”

 

“Well, between us, I don't think dad's gonna last much longer,” X-Ray commented. 

 

“I have a bet with myself on whether lung disease or kidney disease is gonna get him first. My money’s currently on lungs, at the rate he burned through a pack last time we talked.” 

 

“Well, now that we know,” Vav said, “We're here for you, okay?”

 

“The father is a liar,” Mogar growled. “A most dishonorable liar.”

 

“Yeah, what Mogar said. It doesn't matter if he doesn't want you to exist. We do. He's garbage.” 

 

X-Ray sighed as Vav pressed a kiss to his cheek again. 

 

“Thank you. Really. I want you both to know that I love you.” 

 

“The father, does not deserve your help,” Mogar said, his body rumbling in the same way X-Ray adored when they were hugging. 

 

“And you're not mad?”

 

“No,” Vav assured him, and it was the truth.

 

“Just- next time, you can tell us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay!!
> 
> I was a little conflicted on whether to leave it there or have a more decisive conclusion, so vote /now/ on your phones! Comment, complain, send me an ask for it all to end definitively (which I have already plotted and can post when /asked/.) 
> 
> If so, then you can expect it as soon as possible!
> 
> If not, thanks for reading!


	7. In Which it Ends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's only one way to end it, isn't there?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, okay, the people want a conclusion? The people get my conclusion.
> 
> Honestly, I wrote this during an experimental period, influenced more than slightly by Juan Rulfo's Pedro Paramo (aka the most confusing book I've ever read.) 
> 
> Enjoy.

X-Ray got the call because he was the next of kin. The people from the hospital tried to convince him to get involved in the funeral effort, but X-Ray refused, processing the news for a few days before telling his boyfriends. 

 

How do you bring up something like the things X-Ray was thinking? 

 

Actually, Vav, as usual, gave him the perfect out. 

 

It was a slow day for crime, apparently, because they had been around town most of the day with no incident. They had ended up on the couch at X-Ray’s house, playing video games as usual- well, Mogar was intently watching their pixel characters move on the screen. 

 

Vav crossed his legs under him, leaning forwards, X-Ray remained laying down and kept his hear on Mogar’s lap, his legs on Vav.

 

“Your dad hasn’t called in a while.” Vav commented, and gave X-Ray a sideways look. 

 

“Everything okay?”

 

X-Ray shrugged. “...better than okay. He, uh- I didn’t know until a few days ago and I really, really didn’t know how to bring it up. He’s dead.” 

 

Now, Vav had never before had reason to celebrate someone’s death, so he was unsure of how to react apart from saying, “It’s fine, that’s-- that’s big news. Of course you needed time to process.” 

 

Mogar, on the other hand, had no such filter. He pulled X-Ray up into a sitting position by his shoulders and gave him a near bone-crushing hug (and with Mogar, such a thing is literal.)

 

“Then we are victorious.” 

 

That would sound neutral enough apart from the vicious grin on Mogar’s face, as if he had done the killing himself. 

 

“Woah, okay, buddy, still gaming-” 

 

Mogar released X-Ray, who returned to his former position and activity. 

 

“Another thing.” 

 

Vav looked quizzically at X-Ray. “Whatever you need.”

 

“I wanna go to the funeral.”

 

Vav paused the game, looking at X-Ray. “No offense, but-- why?” 

 

Vav frowned a little to himself. “Funerals are generally-- you know, grieving events. I don’t think any of us are entirely sad he’s gone.” 

 

X-Ray shrugged uncomfortably. Yeah, going to the damn thing was gonna be a time commitment, they’d have to cough up money out of their ( _ their _ ) collective not-so-much for nice clothes (because no way in hell was he wearing his superhero clothes to the funeral- one, that would undo months of work to keep that a secret, and two, his dad didn’t deserve it. Hell, he barely even deserved black tie.) It was effort that X-Ray wouldn’t normally put in, especially not for his dad. 

 

But on the other hand...

 

“I dunno, I honestly- I don’t think I’ll believe he’s gone until I see it. And, uh, if I’m being honest, I kinda wanna piss on the grave. Figuratively. Maybe for real.”

 

Vav nodded slowly. “Alright. We can do that.”

 

X-Ray was silent for a while, unsure of what to say. Mogar squeezed his shoulders slightly. 

 

“...thanks.”

 

“It’s no problem,” Vav assured him. “Just let us know what to do and we’ll be there.”

 

\--

 

Two weeks later was the day. X-Ray had managed to convince Mogar into wearing a tuxedo and looking like-- not a superhero- although he didn’t care about the quality of the look. X-Ray hadn’t even bothered to properly tie his bowtie- as if he knew how to do that. Vav had offered, but dropped it after the first refusal. X-Ray was allowed to look as bitter as he liked. 

Vav had paid for a rental car so that they didn’t have to take the bus. It was a small car, and Mogar had to sit in the passenger seat simply because of size. 

 

The service was quiet and empty, but they sat in the back anyhow. X-Ray preferred to avoid the attention. 

 

X-Ray’s mom’s family, Vav was aware, was strongly catholic, but X-Ray had always been indifferent to the idea of heaven or hell. 

 

Except for now, apparently. X-Ray was mostly quiet throughout the service, except for some things that Vav heard- all in Spanish, probably out of habit from his young childhood being dragged to church with his mom.

 

“Yo se que-- yo se que no tengo ningun reto de preguntar algo de ti, dios, pero--”  _ (I know that- I know that I have no right to ask anything of you, god, but-) _

 

Vav couldn’t hear the next part. 

 

“-lo envías al infierno. Por favor. El me hizo daño como nada. Era un hombre odioso. Por favor, te estoy suplicando. No se merece perdón. Le regalo al diablo.”  _ (Send him to hell. Please. He has hurt me like nothing else. He was a hateful man. Please, I’m begging you. He doesn’t deserve forgiveness. Gift him to the devil.) _

 

Vav felt his stomach twist. X-Ray had always had issues, to say the least, interpreting morality at times. Vav had always kept him in check from saying or even doing something hurtful. 

 

But Vav couldn’t do anything for this other than put his hand on X-Ray’s. He was equally unsure of the existence of either, but he could agree- there was no one in the world he’d wish the concept of hell on more than X-Ray’s dad. 

 

They stayed far away from the actual burial, too, the act of watching it was enough. The entire time, X-Ray fiddled idly with his cufflinks, thinking of what to say once he had the chance.

 

Mogar and Vav approached with him at first then stepped back at his (nonverbal) request, although Mogar took a moment to spit on the freshly turned dirt. 

 

“Come on,” Vav said quietly. “Let’s give him a moment.” 

 

And so they waited on the path that led out of the cemetery.

 

“Heaven won’t take you, you fucking douchebag.”

 

Almost supernaturally, the smell of cigarettes and whiskey filled the air, as if his father was there. 

 

X-Ray scowled. When a guy’s dead, he’s supposed to stay dead, not-- come back. And definitely not come back because the son he despised with all his shriveled heart is standing over his grave.

 

“Escuchame.”  _ (Listen to me.) _

 

If his dad is here, the guy had better fucking listen.

 

X-Ray felt a rush of realization. Before, his dad could tell everyone who he was. For the rest of his life, he’d be tied to scum like him. 

 

_ You look like your father. _

 

_ Your father must be proud of you. _

 

_ What’s going on with your father? _

 

Now, he could say what he wanted to his dad, whether the guy was listening or not, and there would be no retribution. 

 

X-Ray tugged at his (messy) bowtie.

 

“No lo dijiste, pero te odio. Y voy a odiarte por todo del tiempo. Es cierto que soy un accidente, pero eso no era una rázon para no ser mi padré.”  _ (I never told you, but I hate you. And I will hate you for all time. It’s true I’m an accident, but that was not a reason to not be my father.) _

 

He choked on the words  _ un accidente _ , and he could almost hear his father laughing derisively.  _ What? What are you crying about? No reason to cry about things that are true. Don’t be a baby. _

 

Hell. He could almost see his father sitting on the grave, lighting a cigarette, listening with the same dispassionate glare that was always applied to X-Ray alone. 

 

“Fuck you,” he choked out in english, before removing his glasses, wiping his eyes, and continuing. The glasses returned to his face.

 

“Espero que San Pedro ríe en tu cara sucia y se te envías al infierno, donde perteneces. Espero que te quemas allí para siempre.”  _ (I hope that Saint Peter laughs in your disgusting face and sends you to hell where you belong. I hope you burn there forever.) _

 

The mood of the tears had turned from upset to outright angry, and bitter. Vav always said he had a right to be bitter, and that his feelings were valid, weren’t they? Well, he definitely hated his father, with every atom of his body. 

 

Saint Peter laughing in his ugly face was one of the many things X-Ray could hope that the afterlife subjected his father to. 

 

“No me vas a ver un otro tiempo.”  _ (You’re not going to see me another time.) _

 

The bowtie came undone, and X-Ray turned away from the grave. He could almost hear his father reply.

 

_ Good. Get out of here. _

 

For once, that was something he wanted to do.

 

When they got to the car, rather than driving away immediately they sat in the backseat, Mogar crammed in, as X-Ray cried tears of- relief more than anything. Vav carefully began to kiss his face, gently, murmuring words of encouragement- that they wouldn’t let anything happen to him, that they loved him, that they were so very glad he existed. Mogar was holding him tightly, in that secure way only Mogar could manage. 

 

And this- these people who loved him so much, who would do anything for him- was more than his father ever thought he deserved. 

 

X-Ray let out a broken sob. No more sneaking around, no more worrying about people finding out his name, he could go back to being a superhero like he wanted. 

  
It felt like a weight had been lifted. 

**Author's Note:**

> Bookmark/kudos/comment or talk to me (mttbrand-suffering on tumblr) to discuss xav pain (any sort) or indicate enjoyment!


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